The Illusionist
by suddenlyliterate
Summary: Arthur Kirkland found out very early on that his reality differed from most people's. Years later, as the infamous Illusionist, he meets other criminals like him. Teaming up with them was probably a bad idea, but Arthur wouldn't change it for the world. FACE!
1. Prologue

Prologue

Hello. My name is Arthur Kirkland and I've always seen things that don't exist.

Of course, when I was a little kid, I did believe that what I saw was real. Imagination knows no bounds at that age. Of course, it was crushed out of me rather quickly…especially after my parents committed me to an institution for the mentally troubled.

Now, I don't really blame them that much. It was hard enough caring for all of my brothers without me talking to the air. It really worried a lot of people; them most of all, probably. But I couldn't understand why _I _was the only one who saw these things. I automatically, in my childish naivety, assumed that everyone saw the same things as I did. Boy, was I wrong.

The institution didn't like it when we referred to it as an asylum; a crazy place. But, that didn't stop most of us. Granted, the majority of the other kids in there _did_ have major problems that interfered with their being a part of society. But some of us, me included, felt that we weren't supposed to be there. But in the end, I was the only one who was able to change their situation.

I lived there for a fairly long time. I arrived after my sixth birthday and stayed until I was twelve. But I couldn't stand it there. I got along with the other "inmates," although I never really made friends. I was lonely still. I kept seeing things. Every day, the doctors would come and talk to me, acting like I was mentally challenged. They would try to convince them that what I saw wasn't real.

But, after a while, I realized that what I saw wasn't real. It was just an illusion; one I created myself to keep myself company. I later hypothesized that I made one for myself as a kid to deal with loneliness when my parents would work and my older brothers ignored me. This led me to the realization that maybe; just maybe, I might be able to create an illusion that someone _else_ could see.

After a few nights of practicing on my fellow inmates, I set an illusion that made the nurse believe I wasn't in my cell. As she opened it, frantic, I simply walked out. I realized then that with this new skill, all doors were open to me.

I escaped, alone. And then I started life anew at twelve as the Illusionist.

* * *

**Hello, Lit here! I'm so terribly sorry for starting on a new story when my old one has gone stale, but inspiration struck, and several hours later, here I am! The first chapter will be posted shortly. **

**If there are any Brits that can suggest some changes in grammar/spelling, I would be happy to change it! This is going to be almost like a written diary made by dear Arthur himself. It would be nice to keep it kind of accurate! :D**


	2. Escape Artist

Chapter One: Escape Artist

Eventually, I found myself a niche where my work was valued and respected. But, I didn't expect to be working for the criminal underworld. I guess one can't have everything.

"Hey, 'lusion dude. Now would be a great time!" shouted the lead criminal at me as we ran from the lovely cacophony of police cars that seemed intent on finding us. Granted, we did steal a bunch of raw diamonds, but hey, one had to get by somehow.

"_Fine! _You could use the exercise, though," I spat with irritation as I began my "hacking" simultaneously into the minds of both the law enforcement chasing us _and_ the rather stunned passerby. I knew I was going to have such a horrible headache after this job, but by God it paid well. As we swerved into the alley that held our getaway car, I grabbed hold of the people's minds and made them _see. _Additionally, I was forced to send my power far away toward the people behind the numerous surveillance cameras and create an illusion coercing them into deleting the data. The kind of troubles I suffered for my job, honestly.

The toll it took on me was instantly visible. I stumbled, clutching my ragged hair as I fought to make them all see the empty alley, see our figures running further, see nothing relating to us. I dimly registered a strong pair of hands pulling me into our ride as I strained to hold the illusion.

"Can you hide us?" the leader, Sam, I believed, revved up the car and edged it toward the entrance to the alley. Dimly I heard several sirens shoot past out hideout. Safe.

"Of course!" I sputtered as I began sifting through minds and slowly removed my illusions. I would need full power to keep the next illusion. "Do you… have the r-recording ready like I… asked?" I said, wiping sweat out from under my bangs. One of the other thieves grunted, holding up the stereo.

"On…my count," I breathed, removing all traces of my influence from hundreds of people. "One…two…three!"

Grunting Thief pressed down on the stereo and the loud whine of an ambulance instantly worsened my headache as I wove an illusion over our getaway car. "Go, dammit!" I said, leaning back in my seat, not even bothering to put on my seatbelt. The squeal of tires was somehow soothing as I set my mind to autopilot.

Running illusions that affected multiple people was exhausting. Doing it to one person was easy, but hundreds of people in a crowded city weren't my definition of pleasant or simple. Whenever I controlled what people saw, I had to break into each person's individual mind and take over their vision, controlling my illusion from all kinds of angles. I'd learnt to multitask, but I still found it rather irritating. I much preferred to weave illusions without hacking minds, instead manipulating light waves, but I had to see my work as I did it. It wasn't the most convenient form when we were running from law enforcement, so I was forced to rely on the more exhausting way.

An additional aspect that my illusions didn't cover was touch, hearing, smell, or taste. I could only manipulate what people saw. That wasn't too bad in itself, I supposed, as people really trusted what they saw far too much. It just made my job, sneaking criminals in and out of their targets, a little difficult when some of the bloody idiots I had to serve touched someone, knocked over something, or spoke too loudly. Surprisingly enough, a large majority of the criminals I knew were absolute dimwits. However, they generally understood that to some extent, and so they rather smartly hired me to keep their idiocy in check.

Sometimes it was rather hard.

The car we were in (some kind of van, I believe?) suddenly braked sharply, and I flew forward into the chair, face-planting into the back of the headrest. Even though I wasn't thrown very hard, that slight distraction was just enough to get me to lose my tired grip on my illusion. Instead of just letting go of the people who were out of sight, I let go of everyone.

Suddenly, there were a few screams. An ambulance changing into an old van tended to do that to the faint of heart.

Another one of the thieves (I'd taken to calling him Pointy Nose) helped me back against the seat as Sam yelled back, "Put the illusion back! Now!" I shook my head, already working on it. A few seconds passed before I regained my grip on everyone's minds. Unfortunately, my talents with fiddling with people's brains didn't extend to memory. I dearly hoped that this lapse wouldn't get caught on any surveillance cameras; of course this particular heist was in London, one of the most surveillance-heavy cities in the world. I couldn't chance anyone seeing me. To be honest, neither could the thieves, but I didn't particularly care for them.

The ride eventually quieted down (referring to the chase; the ambulance siren was still quite loud) and about half an hour later we arrived at the rendezvous. We slowly piled out of the car as I yanked the illusion forcefully down. We were in the abandoned warehouse where this particular group of criminals had agreed to meet with their buyer. I set an illusion of me walking away before I settled down against the side of the car, grabbing my knees with my arms, quickly weaving a simple illusion. I disappeared to everyone's eyes, curious to see the buyer. I tended to stick around sometimes; occasionally, if a buyer expressed an interest in the Illusionist, I noted them down as a potential client.

The other thieves, whose names I could still barely keep straight, cocked some freakish guns and began muttering to each other. Their impatience was almost tangible. I quietly sighed under my breath, glancing down at my wristwatch. The buyer was ten minutes late. It struck me as rather unprofessional, but I didn't really question it. They may have their reasons, even though they could have notified my troupe.

I twitched as I heard a sound. It sounded like someone shuffling their feet. I directed my gaze toward it, hyperaware of the situation as all of my thieves pointed their gun in that direction.

An average man came out of the shadows, dressed in a dark suit pressed impeccably. I was rather impressed; for some reason, this businesslike man hardly seemed like someone that would have made such a breach of etiquette. As the man drew closer, his rather long, wave blond hair shrouded his face. I watched silently, curious to the face of this buyer I'd never seen before.

To my disappointment, the man was wearing a polar bear mask. As I stared at it, bemused, I almost didn't catch the man's first words.

"Do you have the product?" a quiet, calm voice asked. I thought that I could detect the tiniest accent. The man stopped in front of my thieves and straightened further. My thieves (dear God, what was with me always getting attached to my clients) slowly lowered their guns. Sam stepped forward.

"Yes, of course," he said smoothly, holding out a hand. The man with the polar bear mask (which seemed like an odd choice the more I thought about it) slowly held out his hand as well. They shook hands quickly before the man spoke.

"Can I perhaps see the product?" he asked politely. Sam stiffened the tiniest bit, which made me chuckle silently. What did the fool expect from a buyer? But I digress.

"Of course," Sam replied, and motioned for one of his men to retrieve it from the car. As he opened the trunk and began hefting up a bag of raw diamonds, the man asked a question almost hesitantly. "Word on the street says that you hired the Illusionist, did you not?"

Sam crossed his arms defensively. "And what if we did?" he asked guardedly. The man seemed taken aback.

"I was wondering if perhaps I could meet him," the man said. Oh, I was pleased. However, I wasn't sure if it was time to reveal myself yet. I decided to stay hidden.

The thief that was lugging one of the bags slowly hobbled over to Sam and the man, setting it down on the ground before stepping back and taking up his gun again. The man seemed unfazed, and instead reached down and poked around the bag.

"These are very good. How much did you get?" the man asked. Sam straightened a little bit before proudly replying "one kilogram of raw diamond, four kilograms of gold, twenty-six kilograms of silver, and half a kilogram of platinum. That suits you, does it not?"

The man nodded, his wavy hair falling into his face. "Thank you." He leant a little forward and stuck his hand into his pocket. I assumed that he was going to get out the payment, whatever it may be, but I was shocked when I saw the gun in his hand point right at Sam and shoot him in between the eyes. I didn't expect that from the calm man at all, stifling down a little gasp. I couldn't get involved; perhaps I was a target as well? The man began exchanging shots with my thieves, performing frightening evasive manoeuvres. I had to get away.

I was mostly recharged, so I furiously wove myself a strong illusion to encircle my body before I headed away from the man. I was not going to risk my life to defend a group of thieves who had hired me for a one time job. Forget the fact that I wasn't going to be paid; I wanted to live to see another day, thank you very much. I reached the end of the large room, shaking slightly as the amount of guns shooting steadily diminished.

I ducked into the next hallway, rather frazzled. However, I began to panic as I heard footsteps. I tried to calm myself down. Of course I wasn't being followed. I had a solid illusion made of reliable woven light, and my step was light. But the footsteps continued.

I chanced a look behind me and saw the shape of a man very similar to the first one, except that his hair was shorter, and he was wearing an eagle mask. He seemed to be looking right at me, and that caused a bolt of ice to shoot through my heart. I quickened my pace as I saw the hallway branch off in the distance. I quickly wove a shadow that I sent into the first hallway. Hopefully, the person that was chasing me would chance the wrong hallway. As I darted ahead into the hallway that I remembered would lead to the back of the warehouse, I gulped as the footsteps didn't even falter.

I looked back around, irritated. The man was still looking at me. In fact, his posture as he trailed me was _nonchalant!_ What kind of person did the man think he was? I burst into a flat out run, suddenly glad that I was a very good sprinter.

What I didn't expect was hearing a second pair of footsteps joining the chase, ahead of me. Now that I thought about it, I didn't hear any more gunshots.

I was being cornered.

I swerved away from the second pair of footsteps, them falling behind and joining the second man's. I couldn't send off a fake illusion of myself to divert their attention; they somehow knew where I was without seeing me. They definitely wouldn't fall for my usual trick.

I saw a chance.

An open window almost at ground level beckoned to me, and I made the choice quickly. The footsteps suddenly sped up even further as I flung my whole body out of the window.

I rolled roughly and sprang to my feet. I suddenly didn't understand what was happening. I was being chased by a silent duo who didn't even speak a word. The situation was confusing. What was I supposed to do? I didn't stop to think. I took off at a sprint, heading towards civilization. If I could perhaps hide myself in the crowd, I would be able to escape their pursuit.

I rounded the corner of a nearby warehouse, my feet pattering against the concrete. I suddenly noticed that one pair of footsteps faded, and one of them slowed down. I ducked into the alley between the warehouse and some dinghy flat and was promptly given the shock of my life.

I ran straight into someone, who then grabbed me tightly and gave a low chuckle. I was so shocked that I let my illusion of invisibility go for just one second. I stared up into a pair of blue, tired eyes that crinkled a little around the corners, dark behind the eagle mask the man wore.

"Hello, Mr. Illusionist! That was quite the fun chase, was it not?"

* * *

**Can anyone perhaps figure out who those two masked men are?**

**If anyone notices an error with my writing of London, feel free to correct me!**

**Please review! I'm always looking to improve. :D**


	3. Don't Worry

Chapter Two: Don't Worry

I wasn't the happiest person in the world.

My lovely plans of running off scot free were dashed as soon as I literally ran into Eagle guy. My god, that is so embarrassing; I don't even know how to lecture myself. I guess I relied way too much on my illusions; they got me way too easily! This shouldn't have happened, I knew it. So, I permanently dissipated my illusion of invisibility to take advantage of my rather large eyebrows, which I knew could pack a mean stare.

"Who the fuck are you?" I spat, beginning to struggle. Unfortunately for me, this bastard was way too strong for his own good; I swear I could feel every little muscle underneath his suit. Eagle guy stared down at me, probably mockingly, as I squirmed for a full thirty seconds. I swear I heard him silently laughing. My troubles only increased when I heard Polar Bear guy's voice behind me.

"Let him go, Al. There's no way anything will work if you leave such a first impression," Polar Bear's calm voice slipping into what seemed an American accent. Apparently I was correct in my assumptions; these people are not from around here.

Eagle guy just guffawed in the most repulsive way, almost hugging me tighter. "No need-ta worry, Kuma! I'm sure he'll agree."

I was rather confused at the moment. Apparently they didn't want to kill me. I did remember them inquiring about my presence, but I forgot it when I was so rudely chased. "What do you want?" I asked with a clipped tone.

Polar Bear guy walked around Eagle guy until he was in my field of view. "Nice to meet you, Mr. Illusionist?" he asked hesitantly. "We wanted to offer you a business deal."

I wasn't sure that was a good idea. These two had killed my last business deal quickly and efficiently, and they did chase me around at least a kilometre of warehouses.

"I'll think about it," I haughtily said, and then with a stroke of brilliance, added "if you let go of me, that is." I looked pointedly down at Eagle guy's arms, which were currently holding me in a rather uncomfortable position.

Eagle guy positively whooped with joy. "I knew it would work, Ma-Kuma! I told ya!" Polar Bear guy didn't look convinced yet; and with good reason, I added smugly. And was "Kuma" a codename? It seemed like Eagle guy wasn't the best at the whole criminal thing. I bet I could take him down if it mattered.

"I'd be more willing to listen if I could actually stand on my own," I reminded, giving one last struggle. With a little "oh," I was finally released. I stepped back, happy to be freed, and began straightening my suit, brushing off imaginary dust. After I deemed it suitable, I looked up to find Eagle guy taking off his mask. With curiosity, I watched as his Eagle mask revealed a mop of golden blond hair and a rather young face. I'd expected him to be older with the lines I saw around his eyes; someone obviously wasn't getting enough sleep. I almost tsked out loud, catching myself right before I said it. As I finally took my eyes off his admittedly handsome face, I saw that Polar Bear guy had also removed his mask. Interestingly enough, he looked like he was Eagle guy's twin. Besides a longer, curlier hairstyle, he was remarkably similar, if not a little softer in the face. Eagle guy stepped forward (could I really call him that anymore?) and held out his hand.

"I'm Alfred, and that's Matthew! Nice to formally meet ya!" he said, grinning. I stared at him, dumbstruck for a moment before sighing and shaking his hand. Matthew stuck out his hand as well, and I shook it, bemused. What was the purpose of the masks anyway? And they were animal ones, no less.

"I'm the Illusionist," I said, stepping back toward the mouth of the alleyway. I felt a little uncomfortable near them, seeing as I did think that they were my would-be killers. To my surprise, Alfred's face fell a little. He stepped closer (which made me panic just the tiniest bit, mind you) and asked "No really, what's your name?"

I never shared my name with anyone, preferring to go by with my alias as the Illusionist. As I'd never told another person my real name, I didn't see fit to tell them either. So, I stiffly informed them that "the Illusionist" was my name for all goods and purposes. Matthew didn't seem too surprised, but Alfred frowned.

"You don't trust us?" he almost whined. I gave him a look that said "_well, you've given me so much reason to!_" Matthew hit Alfred upside the head and sighed.

"Apologies. Alfred here likes to pretend the whole world is his friend while he robs them. Would you like to hear our business deal?"

That sounded like the most reasonable thing that I'd heard today. So, I nodded, although I proposed going somewhere else to conduct an arrangement. To my surprise, Alfred laughed long and hard at that, while Matthew sent him a pointed glare. "What?" Alfred protested, still laughing.

I thought that his laughter was probably wasn't suited for a small alleyway, not too far off from London's pedestrian streets. "Could you be any louder?" I sighed. "We're in the middle of a possibly illegal criminal deal and I highly doubt any of you would like it being overheard."

Alfred smiled a little bit, but he did stop. "We rented an apartment not too far from here. Our ride's in the next alley over."

"Alright then," I said, absentmindedly spinning an illusion of an older, dark-haired gentleman over myself. I didn't want to be seen with these two hooligans. Said hooligans donned their animal masks, and I fell back as Alfred cheerily led the way. I had to say, this was probably the oddest business deal I'd ever had the misfortune of being offered. As Alfred turned into the next alley, Matthew quietly slipped a slip of paper into my hand. I instantly reformed my illusion over it, and lifted my hand as if to inspect it for dirt as I read the short note, scratched in a loose but elegant hand.

_We're sorry for scaring you, but Al wanted to prove your identity this way._

_The men you were working with had orders to kill us after receiving payment. I'm sorry about the mess._

_-K_

I sharply glanced at Matthew, but his face betrayed no emotion. That note certainly gave me word for thought. So it seemed like their killing of my old business partners made sense, although killing was a little harsher a punishment than I would have bestowed. Maybe these two weren't completely off their rocker. Perhaps working with them wasn't going to be a complete pain in the arse.

I noticed that I was thinking as if I had already agreed to their agreement. I quickly mentally berated myself for that as we walked up to the silver car, and I sat shotgun. Matthew drew toward the back, and Alfred hopped into the driver's seat. There was an awkward moment as Alfred tried to situate himself shotgun before moving over to the driver's seat. Silly Americans, if that was what they were.

We drove in relative silence, broken up a few times when Alfred almost drove onto the wrong side of the road. About half an hour of close calls later, we arrived in a quaint little neighbourhood. Alfred and Matthew disembarked quickly and so quietly I couldn't hear a single sound beyond the soft slamming of car doors. Alfred shot ahead to the door and began unlocking it, as Matthew stared at his feet. As soon as Alfred got the door opened, he shot in, Matthew grabbing my arm and pulling me inside as well. I was getting kind of worried by the quiet and secrecy, but as both Alfred and Matthew sprawled on the small living room's couch with identical faces of relief, I felt it necessary to voice my concerns.

"You certainly weren't acting suspicious at all," I said, giving them an unimpressed look. Matthew shot up with an almost comedic expression of guilt, and stood hastily.

"Would you like some coffee?" Matthew offered, glancing at the kitchen doorway. I smiled at his attempts to be a courteous host, and agreed. The kid was trying so hard, after all. I didn't particularly enjoy the drink, but Matthew seemed a lot more relieved, retreating into the kitchen and rifling through cupboards.

I eyed Alfred, who was gazing at me with barely-opened eyes. "You can sit down too, if you want," he offered. I gazed down at the worn, fabric couch, and muttered "bugger it" before plopping down on it. Today was a lot more stressful than I'd anticipated. As I listened to Matthew move around the kitchen, I glanced sideways at Alfred. Maybe it was the right time to ask how they knew where I was.

"Hey...," I broke the silence.

Alfred looked around curiously. "What is it?"

"Well..," I started, staring at him. "How did you follow me?" I had to know the answer to this question. Should I have instead hacked their minds instead of relying on my usual illusions? Did they have thermal imaging technology with them? "Nobody's been able to follow me like that in a long time."

Alfred looked startled, before settling into a conflicted facial expression. It seemed like he was hiding something? "Ah, I'll explain that when Matthew gets back," he said, his tone oddly higher pitched. I gave him a look, but let it go.

We sat for a few minutes in companionable silence until Matthew came back with three cups of coffee and various other additions on a small folding table. "Sorry about being so informal. Today was kind of stressful, as you can imagine," he said, fingering a torn hole at the edge of his sleeve. I zeroed in on it. Was he that close to getting shot? At my questioning glance, he smiled awkwardly.

"Anyways, time for business talk." Matthew shot a glare at Alfred who looked as if to interrupt.

"We heard about you a few years ago, and we thought that our skill sets would complement each other," Matthew said, nervously.

I was interested. What did he mean by "complement" each other. But, I wanted to know the nature of the deal.

"What do you want to do?" I asked. Matthew gave a sneaky smile as Alfred jumped in.

"Steal from a really huge bank in Germany!" Alfred happily said, and then recounted its name. I froze.

I was dealing with lunatics.

I generally only assisted in small ventures to rob smaller companies, generally technology or precious jewels. I had never as much as thought of robbing a bank even a quarter of that size. So when they mentioned it, I felt it was a good time to laugh my arse off. So, I did.

Matthew looked a little miffed, while Alfred seemed to think my laughing fit was hilarious. I chuckled, giggled, laughed, and snorted for at least five straight minutes while they awkwardly sat it out. I even dropped my illusion halfway through, leaving me to giggle with my real face. When I finished, I wiped sincere tears out of my eyes and looked at them, resisting the urge to laugh again.

"Are you serious?" I asked, breathless. "If that's your plan, I sure hope that you have other people you plan on taking." Upon seeing their guilty faces, I was struck with the thought that this thing was a joke. But surely nobody would go this far for a joke? I started to get up.

Apparently Matthew thought that the situation was getting out of control, as he seized my arm and his odd lavender grey eyes implored me to sit down and listen. I acquiesced, leaning back against the sofa. Oddly enough, both Matthew and Alfred stood up and faced me, looking as if they were rather nervous.

"Alright, I'm going to go out and say it," Alfred stated bluntly, while Matthew shot him a panicked glare. "I'm kinda like you!"

Matthew almost facepalmed, while I stared in shock.

"Kind of? What does that mean?" I asked hesitantly.

Alfred looked a little nervous, but then suddenly all the sound in the room went out. I froze, deathly still, while Matthew slapped Alfred's arm angrily, mouthing words. I didn't hear the slapping. I couldn't hear anything. I could feel my chest moving, but even the faint sound of my breathing was gone. I looked up at Alfred, panicked. As he registered the look on my face (and perhaps Matthew's slaps did something) the sound instantly returned.

"Blimey," I finally said.

I had found someone like me.

Matthew gave a little irritated cough. I shook my head a little, and refocused on Matthew with wide eyes.

"I can manipulate smell. So that makes three of us."

I stared at the two (siblings or twins?), in shock. Never did I expect to find one person who could do anything like me, yet here I had found two people who could (or, more rather, they found me). I was filled with a little jealousy. They obviously had each other. But still; the idea was as shocking as it was glorious.

Matthew and Alfred looked a little unsure, but they perked up when I said "Maybe we _can_ rob that bank."

* * *

**Omg, thank you for all of the reviews! They've been really motivational. I haven't been feeling well the past few days; I've kept a consistent low grade fever. I felt like I had to post something though! **

**The secret has been revealed! Some of you guessed, and some of you had really good ideas. They helped me plan out future scenes!**

**I feel kind of silly to say that I kept a list of British slang open so that I could portray Arthur correctly! :D Tell me if I'm wrong, would you?**

**Please review~ C:**


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